RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – A life-saving drug that can reverse an overdose is now much easier to get in North Carolina.

On Monday, Gov. Pat McCrory signed Senate Bill 734 into law making naloxone available without a prescription.

North Carolina is the third state in the country to issue a standing prescription order statewide for naloxone.

The drug has been credited with saving more than 3,000 lives in North Carolina.

It temporarily blocks the effects of opioids in the brain long enough to restore breathing in a person experiencing respiratory failure from an opioid overdose.

“Addressing mental health, substance use, underage drinking and drug overdose have been primary focuses of our team since day one,” said McCrory, who prioritized these issues in his first State of the State address. “Signing this legislation builds on our success and will save lives throughout North Carolina. I want to thank our legislators for unanimously passing this bipartisan initiative.”

DHHS Secretary Rick Brajer, who co-chaired the Governor’s Task Force, said the state listened and are aware of how many families will benefit from wide availability of naloxone.

“This law is the catalyst we need to help protect people across our state,” Brajer said.

The North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition has been working to raise awareness about naloxone and make it available statewide.

“Since the passage of the 911 Good Samaritan Law in 2013, the NC Harm Reduction Coalition has distributed over 28,000 free naloxone kits to community members, resulting in 3316 reported overdose reversals. The Coalition applauds the signing of SB734 as a crucial step to making naloxone more available to people who can use it to save the life of a loved one,” said NCHRC Advocacy and Communications Coordinator Tessie Castillo

The new law comes as heroin and prescription drug abuse is skyrocketing in North Carolina. More than 1,000 people die each year from prescription opioid and heroin overdoses.

“Naloxone can take someone who is stone cold, who is turning blue, not moving, not breathing…you give them naloxone and they can stand up and talk to you in a matter of seconds,” said Castillo. “It’s an amazing drug.”